Matt's Musings

Here's a look at this week's new movies. The Watch Starring: Jonah Hill, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Richard Ayoade, and Rosemarie DeWitt Synopsis: Given recent events in the real world, a movie about a militaristic group of neighborhood watch fanatics doesn’t seem like a great idea. That, of course, is the marketing challenge for “The Watch,” which opened on July 27. Given the difficulties stemming from the real-life events in Florida, the name for the film shifted and the trailers started giving away a good deal of the plot. If you watch the film, the idea of aliens doesn’t come up until 45 minutes in. Yet, that’s the whole focus of the trailers. Hence the disconnect. “The Watch” may ultimately be one of those decent movies that gets caught up in the wash of summer blockbusters and unfortunate real-life timing. Still, for those looking for an edgier adult comedy, this works well. It’s likely that the alien part of this story was meant to be a bit of a surprise. Ther...

Prior to Friday, I had lived my entire life in California. So, for those of you readers who are more well traveled, this is the first of a series of posts this year that will make you chuckle. Still, where better to chronicle my first blushes with what it's like to live somewhere with seasons than on this site. I arrived in Colorado Springs, my new home, on Friday. Every day since then, like clockwork, there has been a thunder storm in the afternoon/evening. Now, these have ranged in severity. Some have been little showers with a few splashes of lightening. Some have had thunder so booming it shook the foundation of our apartment... and my nerves... And others have downright terrifying. Like Monday night, when a storm sat over the city for hours. There was thunder, lightening, hail, and  A LOT of rain. Being a coastal California resident for most of my life, this was an odd occurrence. What I know of severe weather is primarily drawn from the movie "Twister" and four days...

I continue my look at my favorite TV series of all time today with a reminder that NBC once used to be a popular, highly-rated network. ER (1994-2009) Network: NBC About: For 15 years, the medical drama about the lives of doctors and nurses at County General Hospital in Chicago, Ill. was a mainstay on Thursday nights. The show was created by Michael Crichton, who based Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle) and the show on his experience as a medical doctor. It was headlined in the early years by a fantastic cast — including George Clooney. Famously, all of the originals thought enough of the show and their time on it to be a part, at least in some small way, of the final season. "ER" was a breakthrough in television drama in a lot of ways. It was part of a powerful Thursday night lineup for NBC, and was one of the first shows that hooked me as a youth. At one point during its run, I had watched "ER" for more years of my life than I had not watched it. That's a testament to bot...

Today I continue my countdown of my favorite TV series of all time with one that's libel to be polarizing. LOST (2004-2010) Network: ABC About: "LOST" ran for six seasons on ABC, and will go down as one of the most polarizing shows ever. Fans largely loved or hated the series as a whole based on the conclusion to the six-season-long mystery. That's understandable. The show was built around a group of people who survived a plane crash on a mysterious island. The island became a part of the show, and the dense mythology that was a part of the world. It was never going to be possible to please all those who had theories about what was happening, especially as the series went on and the plot became more complex. The producers did their best and, to their credit, did a pretty fine job of getting the show out. Still, for many the ending was unsatisfying. I am one of those who wasn't pleased by the series' finale. I actually wasn't pleased with much of the last t...

This is day three of the London Olympics. I love the Olympics. I look forward to it every four years. I have had this one on my calendar for 18 months. Yet, I've seen about 35 minutes of action. Why, you ask? Because I apparently had to move across the western United States, leaving me without TV or Internet access during a once every four years event. Brilliant! So, yes, I am feeling Olympic withdrawal. Somehow listening to interviews on ESPN and watching abbreviated highlights on my phone just doesn't cut it. So, while the rest of the country is celebrating our nation's best and brightest athletes, I guess I will have to make due staring at my wall...

Well, the summer is nearly over. So, too, is the summer movie season. There are just a few blockbusters left, and a few movies that have some promise. August is always an unpredictable month for films, and this year is no different. Here's a look at the highlights. Friday, August 3: Total Recall — This is a re-make, of sorts, of the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger film. Some of the details have been changed, and the characters have been changed. This, allegedly, skews closer to the original source material. Colin Farrell has developed into a reliable main lead, so this could be a good chance for him to build on that with a sci-fi action vehicle. As with all re-makes, this will likely be subject to some intense fan scrutiny. Diary of a Whimpy Kid — Dog Days — This is the third in the "Whimpy Kid" series. Doubtless if you like the books and/or the films, you will be happy to see this one back. Friday, August 10: The Campaign — This is the perfect tonic for political burnout. ...

Driving can be hard work. That's what I determined on Thursday as we made our way from Fresno, California to Grand Junction, Colorado. Some of the scenery was pretty, and the first time I saw a speed limit sign of 80 MPH I almost had a heart attack, but it was tough sledding. We left at about 6:15 a.m. and got to Grand Junction at 10:30 p.m. local time. Of course, Colorado is an hour ahead, so it was about a 15-hour journey. I drove about 700 miles of the 900 miles we went that day, driving for about 10 hours. Included in that time was four states — California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. My wife, fortunately, took us the rest of the way home, finishing out Utah and scooting into Colorado. There were a few things that were unexpected about the journey. First was physical toll it takes. You feel couped up in the car, and it is just a lot of drive time. Second was the delay in Las Vegas that cost us an hour... that was not fun, especially when you've still got 500 miles to go. I g...